17 February 2016 - Snow Fun

Utah winters are interesting. This year we had a lot of snow, but because of the altitude, the sun (with the help of the brine solutions) keeps the roads clear and the air warm. In the dead of winter it isn't unusual to see joggers in shorts and t-shirts. Same with cyclists. That is a bit over the top in my world view but I admit to sitting in the sun on my porch with a cup of coffee. With the sun, I am plenty warm enough even though the temps might be in the high 20s to low 30s.  I will tell you that I am not wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but jeans and long-sleeved turtle neck are enough to stay warm. Move out of the sun and that is a whole other story. 

In my travels around the mountains I see people enjoying the winter and thought I'd share. Here skiing and sledding are the norm, but there are other winter activities. 

When the reservoirs freeze, little cities start popping up on the ice. Just out of the picture are at least 100 of these ice fishermen's tents. I just happened to like this red tent against all the white. 

Fisherman are a bit crazy. If they aren't drilling holes in the ice they are standing in freezing water. This man is fishing the same reservoir as above. If there is still some open water, I'm not sure I'd be out on the ice. I was amused that this guy is multi-tasking.

Out in the rural farmlands it is not unusual to find skaters. 

Guess I can't leave out the birders. 

Then there are the hunters. I was birding and saw a flock of birds far enough away I had to use my binocs to identify them. I was surprised to see they were decoys, but had to laugh when the hunter waved at me. Funny. 

On a particularly blinding sun-on-snow day, I was driving a snow-packed dirt road between two canyons. I was astonished to see two artists busy plein air painting. It was 27 degrees. The women were about two miles apart and neither knew the other was there. 

Can't leave out the big ice sculpures. Here are two of the many that pop up in the winter. And seriously, is there anything more cheerful than a red house or barn when the world is white? 

Just a few suggestions for the winter weary. 

4 February 2016 - Signs of Spring

You are probably thinking I have gone quite mad.  It is only February, the ground is still covered with snow, I have waist high piles of snow lining the driveway and porch and here I am, talking about spring.  But spring doesn't happen overnight. It comes slowly over time and is already underway. 

Over the last several days I have noticed the birds at my feeders have begun to sing. They are singing their full spring songs, not the little chirps, calls and mutters that punctuate the cold days of winter. Yes, I find myself standing outside, freezing in my shirtsleeves just listening to the streaming joy. 

Next, while in bird watching mode I have observed the ducks are picking mates. Right now the Common and Barrow's Goldeneyes are great fun to watch. The males have picked out their favorite female and work hard at driving other males away. This is not to say that the chosen female has picked the male though. 

Here is a Common Goldeneye male in full chase. He flattens out and propels through the water like a speed boat. 

Once he has driven the interloping male away he throws his head back in triumph and emits a series of high pitched squeaks. 

In my own yard the finches are showing interest in pairing up. Females are soliciting food from males. Not sure if this is just a courtship ritual or if the female is looking for a good provider. 

On January 31st I was wandering through Red Butte Gardens. I was looking to see what plants looked great in winter. Mmm. Lots! 

One I am lusting over is a dogwood called Winter Flame. The branches are neon yellow at the base and bright orange-red at the top. Dramatic against the snow. 

But back to my spring is coming theme, check out these buds!

If you look at tree branches silhouetted against the sky, you'll notice that the buds are swelling, especially on maples and cottonwoods. 

A closer look reveals green tips. How happy is this? 

My neighbor's magnolia tree is busy pushing out fat buds. 

And most fun? The Great Blue Herons are working on their nests at the rookery. First he chooses a stick from an unclaimed nest. 

Here he is coming in for a landing at his own nest.  

Followed by the hand-off. Or should that be beak-off?
At any rate she gets to tuck the stick into the perfect spot. 

All this is living proof that change is ever present. You may think we are in the dead of winter but life is stirring and sap is flowing. Such a marvelous world we live in. Circumspice! 

CLS: 
On Feb. 9, just five days after I wrote this, I saw another sign of spring. Calving has already started. 
Seems early to see babies in the snow. Oh boy, twins. 

29 January 2016 - Geckos

Today, I had a different kind of adventure. The Utah Natural History Museum has a new exhibit on geckos. It is the first time they have had an exhibit featuring live animals. I went and learned a lot about geckos. 

The most interesting thing, or scary, depending on your point of view is that biologists are breeding new varieties of geckos for color and size. They are calling them Art Geckos. It takes 30 generations to get a new gecko, and in gecko generations, that isn't all that long. Apparently the Leopard Gecko is sought after in the pet trade and through inbreeding and selected breeding they have made a number of new color morphs of leopard geckos. There is now an albino morph first created in 2005, 

a tangerine morph created in 1996,

a striped morph created in 1991,

and finally a supergiant morph created in 2000.  It is about twice the size of a normal leopard gecko. 

Another surprise was how tiny some of the geckos are. A few were smaller than the little anoles (we called them chameleons) that you could buy for 50 cents at the local five and dime store. 

I liked the really colorful ones like this Peacock Day Gecko. It is about 5 inches long. 

Also found out that most geckos are nocturnal so those that come out in the day are called Day Geckos. 

Gold Dust Day Gecko               Lined Day Gecko

I'm pretty sure this is the Neon Day Gecko, but don't quote me. 

Giant Day Gecko

In addition to the colorful geckos, there were some that were masters of camouflage. This Western Banded Gecko can blend right in with the little rocks. His legs almost look transparent and too spindly to hold him up, but he could really move out in a hurry. 

This is a Gliding Gecko. Not only does he blend in with bark and rocks, he is something like a flying squirrel in that he doesn't fly, but has webbed feet and there is extra skin on his sides and legs that he can spread to act like a cape when he glides.  

It was a wonderful exhibit with lots of info including all the different kinds of feet and eyes. Scientists are trying to develop new adhesives based on gecko feet. 

Here are a few of the many shapes of feet. 

Like snakes, geckos don't have eyelids. They use their tongue to wipe their eyes.

If this exhibit comes to a museum near you, go! They are beautiful and amazing creatures. 

Because it was the opening day, they had gecko cookies to help celebrate. Yum!

22 January 2016 - White on white and protective coloration

The last six weeks have been snow-filled. Today I was out birding on snow-packed dirt roads. The snow pile on the side of the road is higher than the ranch fence, you can see the tops of the posts sticking over the snow. 

I passed two pick-up trucks that were stuck on the side of the road. I think I need to put a shovel and a big bag of cat litter in my car--just in case. But, even so, it has been mighty pretty around here. 

Yesterday I drove up to Midway. I was looking for a Long-tailed Duck (found it) but it was cold-- ten degrees and everything was covered with hoar frost. The frost was amazing but disappeared rapidly the minute the sun touched it.  

I suddenly realized why someone might want a flocked Christmas tree. It is quite beautiful when done by Mother Nature. 

These photos come with the bittersweet sentiment of 'Wish you were here.'  When the sun hits the ice crystals the resulting shimmer and glisten is mesmerizing, I want everyone to see it in person. 

 

This winter I have had to modify some assumptions. I always liked late fall and winter because it is easier to spot birds without leaves on the trees.  Well, sometimes.  But because I have become a bit obsessed this year, I've discovered that really isn't the case. Even without the foliage for cover, birds can blend right in. 

With the 20/20 of hindsight I wonder how many birds I haven't even noticed, or looked right at and didn't see. It occurs to me you might look at these pictures and think, I could have seen that, but remember, the birds have been zoomed in here. They are a lot further away in the wild. 

In December I was looking for a Brown Thrasher, a rare migrant for this area. Here is my first look. 

After 20 minutes of standing in the middle of a river, water up to my calves, he finally popped out for about 10 seconds before he dove into the next clump of reeds. That is known as skulky behavior. 

I am learning to scan for an odd bit of color, or shadow. In this case, the white-crowned sparrow turned his head so I caught the black and white stripes. 

This next bird was deep in the brush. I got really good looks through the binoculars, but every time I raised the camera he was behind branches. I persevered because this White-throated Sparrow was a life bird for me. Fortunately I was able to catch the tiny flash of yellow on his head. 

Even a bird as large as a Great Blue Heron can blend right into rocks and water. 

  

Owls.  I made four trips up to a reservoir looking for this Long-eared Owl.  The fourth try worked for a number of reasons. It was a foggy, gray day, but as I was scanning the brush a couple of things happened. First, the sun broke through the fog. Second, the owl turned his head so his yellow face was toward me and he opened his eyes. If the sun had not lit up his face and golden eyes I'd have missed him. Every time I moved the binoculars, it took a while to find him again. This was a victory!

Here is my last example. A Sharp-tailed Grouse. His body is about the size of a large grapefruit. Under the brush he almost disappears.  

Out in the open, the coloration still blends. 

This is also a new bird for me and it was my second trip to the area to find him. 

These are just a few examples, but let me tell you, it keeps your head on a swivel and wears your eyes out. But fun? Oh, yes!

CLS:  (Captain's Log Supplemental for those of you who are not Star Trek junkies)

We have had a lot of snow this year. The last four days were warmer--38 to 40 degrees--and the snow in the yard melted some, down to about 17 inches. This morning, Jan 24, woke to another seven inches of wet heavy snow. It even took a tree down. Not happy about that.